The Silver Age: G1, Post G1
by Shath
Summary: The time machine sends some Decepticons to the future, where Megatron is sending Starscream on an intel mission that will cost the Autobots dearly. Ratchet, Ironhide and the Autobots struggle to keep going in Iacon, the last Autobot stronghold. 9 Chapters
1. Preparation

**The Silver Age **

_This story has 9 chapters, they turned out shorter than expected so I will upload 3 per day. Please review, I love reviews!  
There are no pairings but you may make of it what you will. T rating is for death theme which is minor.  
_

_The first two chapters are set during Season 2 of Transformers G1, shortly after episode 43 where the Aerialbots are sent back in time by the Decepticons and end up saving Orion Pax/Optimus Prime. _

**Chapter 1 – Preparation **

_Decepticon Headquarters, Planet Earth _

"Blast those accursed Aerialbots," Megatron growled. The Decepticon leader had felt sure that the Autobot jets had been sent back to the beginning of time forever, but no, the Autobots had come to the aid of their comrades and brought them back to the present. Unbeknownst to Megatron, it was his act of sending the Aerialbots into the past that saved Orion Pax, and allowed his transformation into Optimus Prime by Alpha Trion. Had he known, he would never have used the time machine which had been destroyed back on Cybertron. At least that's what he wanted the Autobots to think. Megatron smirked as he glanced up at the screen beside the one displaying the Decepticon spacebridge. In a sizeable cave in the canyon that housed said spacebridge, Soundwave and Starscream were busy rebuilding the time machine while the cassettes guarded the area.

Yes, it was the perfect plan. Megatron would send some of the Decepticons back in time to take out prominent Autobots one by one, before they were properly trained for combat. As Megatron did not know of the pasts of the Autobots he had in mind, he planned to send both Ravage and Frenzy back for the task of gathering intelligence. Megatron had also considered sending Rumble and Laserbeak, but he required their talents on Earth, and if they did not return their abilities would be missed. Buzzsaw would also be part of the time travelling group, and his job would be to record as much as possible. When he returned, Soundwave could go through the recordings and pick out useful information. Along with the cassettes, Reflector would be useful for both his recording abilities and espionage abilities. For doing the dastardly deeds and defending the cassettes, Megatron would still unsure about which Decepticons to send. He needed to send capable Decepticons, but ones that wouldn't be missed too easily while they were away.

Soundwave and Starscream were both out of the question, their disappearances would be easily noticed, and Megatron didn't quite trust that Starscream wouldn't go and try to kill him in the past either. As much as he hated to admit it, Megatron knew that the Decepticons would miss the abilities of both Soundwave and Starscream if they did not return. There was a reason they were his highest ranking officers. The coneheads could not be trusted with such a delicate mission, and the triplechangers were not loyal or level-headed enough. Thundercracker and Skywarp would be appropriate choices, but Starscream flying into battle alone would highlight the fact that his wing mates were absent, and that was exactly what Megatron did not want. While Frenzy, Buzzsaw and Reflector were more behind-the-scenes Decepticons and their disappearances would not be noticed by the Autobots, Thundercracker and Skywarp were not. As long as Soundwave ejected Rumble during most battles, Ravage's disappearance might be missed.

Megatron placed and hand on his head, gritting his teeth as the irritating sound of the coneheads squabbling about something painfully unimportant continued to assault his audios. He had half a mind to send them on the mission just to have them away from him, but this mission was too important for them. No, it would have to be Thundercracker and Skywarp. If he left one of the coneheads at base during the battles and had Starscream fly with the other two, the Autobots might think he was attempting to further integrate his new aerial force members.

The Constructicons were too useful to add to the time travelling team, and the Stunticons too important in the present. With all the trouble the team had caused the Autobots, their absent would scream louder than Starscream did. And the Insecticons? Megatron didn't even consider them. It was apparent that Thundercracker and Skywarp would be the only two warriors sent on this mission.  
"Soundwave to Megatron," the cassette player's digital voice brought Megatron out of his musings.  
"Go ahead Soundwave."  
"Stage two of Operation 2T is complete."  
"Excellent work Soundwave, have Starscream return to base. I'll brief the team on their mission then send them to you for stage three. Megatron out."


	2. Altercation

**Chapter 2 – Altercation**

_Spacebridge Canyon, Planet Earth _

"Your evil plans won't work this time, Megatron!" Optimus Prime's unmistakable voice declared.  
"That's what you think, Prime!" Megatron replied, preparing for the verbal dance the faction leaders so often engaged in.  
"Look out, boss!" Frenzy cried as a blast from Ironhide's weapon shot towards Soundwave and the time machine. Soundwave leapt out of the way, bumping the control panel as he did so. Megatron grunted as he saw this out of the corner of his optic. Now was not the time for a battle with the Autobots, they had been so close to achieving their mission. The selected team were already standing on the time machine's warp platform, firing at the Autobots as they tried to protect the resources they were standing in front of, the ones they had prepared for their journey through time.

Megatron had ordered Soundwave to go ahead and activate the time machine, but Ironhide's shot had bought the Autobots enough time to close in on the communications specialist and prevent him from reaching the control panel. Megatron winced as he saw an Autobot bump the control panels again, and hoped that the coordinates did not adjust because there was no time to check and reprogram them if the mission was going to be implemented. Gritting his teeth, Megatron regretted not bringing anyone other than the team to be transported, Soundwave and Starscream. The Decepticons were outnumbered and the selected team did not have enough members to call one out to transport the rest. And once they were gone, there would only be five Decepticons left to battle the Autobot forces. Megatron had already called for the Stunticons but they were a fair distance away still. A stray shot zipped past the time machine. Time was running out fast.

With a defiant shriek, Starscream leapt out of the fray and into the air, throwing the red Autobot plane that had momentarily grounded him before launching himself at the time machine. Ignoring Powerglide's shots that assaulted his tailfins, Starscream landed heavily near the machine and slammed his hand down, activating it and sending the Decepticons back in time. The combatants froze as they all watched the Decepticons on the warp platform disappear. Suddenly the battlefield lit up again as the Stunticons flew into the canyon, transforming before they landed and firing at the Autobots. Megatron realised that there was no possibility of calling a retreat now, because that would mean the destruction of the time machine which would trap his soldiers back in time. At least, he hoped that was where they went. A glance at the machine gave Optimus Prime enough time to kick Megatron's legs out from the under the Decepticon leader.

"Prime we gotta destroy that machine!" Ironhide's distinctive call rang out.  
"No Ironhide! We have to let the Decepticons return to this time zone, who knows what trouble they could cause to the timeline in the past!" Optimus Prime replied. "Bring them back to the present, Megatron. Now."  
"I don't take orders from you, Prime!" Megatron snarled.  
"Doesn't look like he has that option either," Starscream said with a cough, holding his neck with one hand while he pointed with his other. The time machine had sparks flying out from one side.

The battle immediately descended into an uneasy standoff. If the Autobots could gain control of the time machine, they could bring the Decepticons back and capture them as prisoners. The Stunticons would not make that an easy task, but Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave and taken quite a beating. If Optimus could grab a hold of Megatron he could force the Decepticon leader to call the Stunticons off in exchange for his release. Another option would be to take Soundwave, who Megatron would surely barter for, but the communications specialist was still strong enough to fight the Autobots off and restraining him would not be easy. Starscream on the other hand had some sort of injury on his neck or in his throat as he kept his hand firmly fixed on it. He would be easy to take in such a condition, but it seemed unlikely the leader would call off the Stunticons in exchange for Starscream's life. Whatever mission he had given the Decepticons he sent through time, Megatron obviously considered it an important one, and Optimus Prime was determined to find out what it was and put a stop to it immediately.


	3. Infiltration

**Chapter 3 – Infiltration **

_Decepticon Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

"Where are we?" Frenzy murmured as he looked around, gazing at the tall silver wall before him.  
"Cybertron, where do you think?" Skywarp scoffed.  
"I think what he meant was _when_. I thought the Golden Age was... well, golden," Thundercracker said thoughtfully.  
"This isn't the Golden Age," Reflector decided. "The coordinates on the time machine must have been accidentally altered during the battle."  
"At least we're on the right planet. Right?" Skywarp asked.  
"Yes, we are on Cybertron, but this is not the past. At least I don't think it is. Look at those weapons, they are far more advanced than what we have on Cybertron... had," Thundercracker said, nodding towards the turrets mounted on the silver wall.  
"I'm glad they're not pointed at us," Frenzy commented.  
"Hey look, on the side of that turret... it's a Decepticon symbol! We must be at a Decepticon base!" Skywarp exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down Skywarp, we don't know when we are, and have you forgotten Megatron's orders? We aren't supposed to make contact with anyone we don't have to. We have to keep quiet and stay out of sight," Thundercracker reminded his wing mate.  
"So if we're in the future, we can't fulfil our mission's primary objectives," Reflector stated.  
"But we can work on the secondary objectives, at least until Megatron and the others bring us back to Earth and our own time," Frenzy pointed out.  
"Frenzy is right. Let's gather intelligence," Thundercracker decided.  
"But why? What good is knowing about the future going to do us?" Skywarp asked.  
"Well since the Decepticons have a big, well-defended base here on Cybertron, we can assume that the war hasn't gone totally to the side of the Autobots. If we can find out the successes and failures of the Decepticons, we can make sure those successes happen, and work on preventing the failures to ensure even more glory to the Decepticons!" Thundercracker declared.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea," Frenzy said with a frown.  
"What do you mean?" Reflector asked.  
"What if we mess up? We could change history; we could change what we have. We could lose what we have. I think that our first step should be to work out how much of Cybertron the Decepticons control, and if they control a significant proportion, then we just leave everything alone. Let's not fix what's not broken ok? Now if the Autobots are doing really well, then we can work on gathering useful information to turn things around. But if the Decepticons are in the lead, then we know that everything worked out in the end and we should just let it work ok," Frenzy explained.  
"That sounds like a good idea to me, little buddy," Skywarp decided.  
"Hey..." Frenzy began, but was cut off by Thundercracker who dragged him back. The group hurried around the corner of the wall for cover as the door nearest them opened.

It was Buzzsaw who moved forward first, silently heading towards the entrance as the Decepticon guards moved away. Reflector transformed into a camera and Thundercracker grabbed him before quietly following the other three Decepticons who were sneaking through the entrance. Inside the silver walls were a number of sturdy silver buildings. The central one was clearly the most important, so Buzzsaw carried Frenzy and Reflector up to a ledge one at a time and began their self-assigned mission. Meanwhile, Thundercracker and Skywarp realised they would be much easier to spot, so they quickly searched the base and luckily located an old, unused bunker to shelter in and call a temporary base.

With Reflector in hand, Frenzy began scouring the base, entering the ventilation shafts to avoid the other Decepticons. Buzzsaw was keeping to the shadows, but after spotting a black condor that looked remarkably like a futuristic version of Laserbeak, he too entered the ventilation shafts, not wanting to be spotted. Frenzy found an old, probably forgotten storage room with a jammed door that he began to return to frequently, and radioed Buzzsaw with its location. Every so often they would return there to confer before Frenzy radioed Thundercracker and Skywarp to relay any information they had collected. So far they had spotted a number of Decepticons that they thought they recognised, and through overheard discussions had worked out a list of who they definitely knew was there, and who they thought they knew was there. They also ascertained that the Stunticons had perished, as had at least one of the triplechangers, but they weren't certain which.

"So did they see all of the Constructicons?" Skywarp asked.  
"No, only four, but they heard mention of Devastator so it's likely that the others are alive and well," Thundercracker replied.  
"Which ones did they see?" Skywarp asked.  
"They saw Hook and Scrapper, and two others but could not identify them. They think one is Mixmaster," Thundercracker said as he looked over the list he was currently working on.  
"So Buzzsaw saw Laserbeak, huh?" Skywarp continued in a more conversational tone. "I guess that means old Soundie is still alive and kicking."  
"Do not assume anything, Skywarp. Soundwave may perish but his cassettes can remain," Thundercracker reminded him.  
"So what about us then? Are we still alive? What about Starscream, is he still around or has Megatron finally deactivated him?"

"Frenzy to Thundercracker, Frenzy to Skywarp, do you copy?" Frenzy's voice interrupted the discussion.  
"We copy, Frenzy. What else have you found out?" Thundercracker inquired.  
"Buzzsaw located two of the coneheads but could not identify them. But that doesn't matter because Reflector and I have located a large area near the top of the spire that is housing a whole battalion of seekers," Frenzy replied.  
"A whole battalion?" Skywarp gasped, sitting up straight.  
"Yeah, a whole lot of them. We followed a few of them, and from what conversations we worked out that Starscream is still the air commander, but we haven't seen him yet. We saw someone like you Thundercracker, but he was smaller, and when we got close he had more white than blue. He's also got pink optics; I don't suppose you were considering an optic colour change? Anyway, he seemed to be a buddy of Starscream's I think. Oh and Buzzsaw thinks he saw Skywarp, but isn't sure. We'll head out now and try and find Starscream and you two from this time. We've yet to see Megatron or Soundwave, but haven't been to the top two floors yet so they'll probably be there. Frenzy out."


	4. Observation

**Chapter 4 – Observation **

_Decepticon Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

The second level from the top of the main tower was relatively small compared to the levels below it, as was the top floor. Both were hidden behind a high altitude launch pad for the seekers. On the side, turrets threatened anyway daring to venture near what were clearly the most important levels of the building. Frenzy was on edge after almost being spotted by a wily golden seeker with a black and blue wing mate named Raptor. Fortunately Raptor quieted the other jet and instructed him to return to his quarters, then announced that he had to see Starscream. Perfect! Frenzy quietly shadowed the mech, but stopped when he turned around. Noticing that Buzzsaw was also on the seeker's trail, Frenzy nodded to the other cassette before changing his target.

Creeping through an open door, Frenzy hid beneath and desk and looked around. The room was minimally furnished, but rather nice nonetheless. It had three large glass pane windows that went down to the floor. When he had been outside Frenzy had been unable to see through the blackened glass, but now he was on the inside he could see through the clear panes perfectly, and what a view it was. Stretching his arm out a bit, he let Reflector take some photographs of the window. Tucking them inside him, Frenzy was pleased with the quality. Perfect images of the Decepticon Empire, they showed much of the main base. Frenzy had let Reflector take some shots from outside before they entered, but if they had time a few more would be nice.

Moving back and remaining still, Frenzy watched as a bulky dark blue mech entered the room and moved to the large desk at the other side of the room from the smaller one Frenzy was hiding beneath. It was Soundwave! Frenzy suddenly decided that that was not a good thing. If Soundwave found him he would recognise him instantly, but then again he would remember and understand what was going on. But the bad thing was that if Soundwave was here, Ravage could be near, and Ravage would surely find him. Fortunately the panther was nowhere in sight, probably inside Soundwave. Frenzy remained silent as Buzzsaw allowed him to listen in on what was happening in the adjacent room, where an interesting conversation had just begun.

Buzzsaw followed Raptor into a room diagonally across from the one Frenzy had entered. Raptor had knocked before entering, and the door did not remain open long after Raptor entered, so Buzzsaw quickly ducked into the ventilation shaft and made his way to the grate above the room. He allowed Frenzy to listen in as soon as he spotted the silver, red and blue seeker across from Raptor.  
"Air Commander Starscream," Raptor saluted with an arm across his chest.  
"Field Commander Raptor, please take a seat," Starscream replied with a wave of his hand towards one of the chairs. Starscream's voice was quite different from what Buzzsaw and Frenzy remembered. No longer a screechy tenor, it lacked the fiery tone that, combined with Starscream's sharp words, often landed the seeker into trouble. Starscream's voice was softer and less high pitched, making it sound more raspy than screechy, and he tone was a lot flatter. As the seeker turned, Buzzsaw noticed scarring on the right side of the air commander's face, and realised what was different about him. His optics were blue. The one above the scars was slightly lighter than the other, but it wasn't too noticeable.

"It was with personal regret that I have assigned Skywarp the third battalion. No longer my wing mate, I am now in need of yet another aerial partner," Starscream began. "Although I did consider you when assigning Thundercracker the second battalion, I ultimately chose Swiftwing over you because I needed you to remain leader of your wing. Now that your wing has been absorbed into the first battalion, I see no reason for not taking you as my wing mate. Your reassignment will give you control over the wings, and placement as my second in command, with Swiftwing as our third, are you capable of such a task?"

"Yes Air Commander Starscream, I am capable of such an honoured position, and will do my best to fulfil my new duties, sir!" Raptor replied with formality and contained vigour.  
"Excellent. You begin now. Rearrange your previous wing as you see fit and ensure that its integration into the battalion is as smooth as it has been so far," Starscream instructed.  
"As you command," Raptor saluted once more before leaving after Starscream's nod. Buzzsaw wondered what Frenzy thought of all this. Starscream had certainly changed. During the conversation his speech had quickened and some of his old fire had shown, but it was much more restrained and controlled, and he knew exactly what was going on and what he was doing. He also appeared to be thinking as he spoke, something he rarely seemed to do back on Earth.

It was not too surprising that the forms of the Decepticons had changed, they were in the far future after all, but such a wild change in personality was intriguing and from what they had seen of the other Decepticons, not widespread. Some seemed a little older and a little wiser, but remained almost exactly the same personality-wise. Starscream on the other hand had changed dramatically. Buzzsaw idly wondered if whatever event that had left him scarred was responsible for it.


	5. Operation

**Chapter 5 – Operation **

_Decepticon Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

"Megatron, this is Starscream. Report to me immediately." Starscream did not even acknowledge the command, he simply walked out the door and down the hall to the next door, the one beside the room Frenzy where was watching Soundwave.  
"Lord Megatron," Starscream saluted after entering. Buzzsaw settled himself above the grate, annoyed that he had wasted valuable time locating the correct path to the grate and was unable to see Megatron from his current position, but did not have time to find a better one.  
"Starscream, I have an important mission for you. Its success will greatly assist our final assault on the last Autobot stronghold," Megatron paused, but Starscream did not interrupt him. In the next room, Frenzy's spark sang. The Decepticons had almost full control of Cybertron! "It is a dangerous mission that could leave you imprisoned or terminated. Either would be detrimental to the Decepticons as we would have to use valuable resources to barter for your exchange or break you out, and if we were to lose you the battalion would be headed by a freshly promoted wing commander, unless your previous wing mates could be transferred here."  
"Thundercracker's current missions are too important for him to leave and Skywarp is too far away," Starscream replied.  
"Exactly. Your first and most important objective is to stay alive and out of Autobot hands. This is a mission that can be attempted multiple times, you must express great patience and caution in order to succeed and if the situation goes sour, you are to get out. Is that understood?"  
"Yes commander."  
"Excellent."

"Your mission, Starscream, is to infiltrate Iacon. You will go alone as you have the most chance of getting in and out unnoticed. Your primary objective is to learn about the security measures implemented by the Autobots. Your secondary objective is to learn the layout of the base and the location of places of interest. You may also poke around and gather other intelligence providing you don't get caught," Megatron's voice was deeper than Buzzsaw remembered it, and when the mech stepped into the condor's field of view, he seemed larger, well armoured and overall stronger. Starscream on the other hand seemed slighter, even more so than some of the other seekers, but had vicious looking spikes on his shoulders and some sort of weapon on the back of each hand. His null rays had been upgraded as had his helmet, which looked a bit different to the other seekers Buzzsaw had seen. Perhaps it held a visor that dropped down to protect his optics during battle? But why not wear it all the time like that Autobot, Jazz?

"I'd like to take a few peons with me, smaller, replaceable cons that could be used as bait. If I can see their capture sequence it would help determine how their security system works. I could also follow them to their holding and see who is there and if I can free them," Starscream explained his thought process.  
"The more you take the more chance of discovery, but you may take one spy. Soundwave can determine the most eligible soldier. Do not make rescuing captured Decepticons a high priority; I don't expect you to return with the partner you take on the mission. Rescuing the prisoners increases your chance of capture and that is a high enough risk as it is," Megatron decided.  
"As you command, Lord Megatron," Starscream saluted once more.  
"Report to Soundwave, you are dismissed."

Buzzsaw made his way out of the ventilation shaft and silently cursed its complicated layout. Although he was unable to make his way to the next room, it did not matter as Frenzy and Reflector were there.  
"Soundwave, I have new mission and your assistance is required for its preparation," Starscream said as he entered the room.  
"Explain," Soundwave demanded.  
"I need you to select a partner for me for my mission. A small spy, good at what he does, but expendable. It is unlikely he will return," Starscream then expanded on his mission.  
"Most ideal candidate, espionage Sub Commander Slight."  
"Excellent, have him report to me," Starscream commanded.  
"Rumble, eject. Locate Sub Commander Slight and have him report to Starscream," Soundwave ejected the blue cassette, and Frenzy was pleased to see glimpses of black and red, indicating both he and Ravage were inside Soundwave.

"Is that all?" Soundwave asked.  
"One more thing, I would like you to find out when would be the best time to attack. When will the majority of Autobots be out of the base?" Starscream asked.  
"Laserbeak and Buzzsaw have confirmed that in two Cybertronian days, the Autobots will commence a project, its details are unknown, but Prowl will take approximately a quarter of the significant Autobots out of the base to participate in this project. Megatron has scheduled a large assault on the small Autobot pockets that remain, and this is a significant distance from where the Autobot project is going to take place. This should result in Optimus Prime leading half of the significant Autobots out of the base also. This leaves a quarter of the Autobots that should be in the base. That will be an optimal time for the mission," Soundwave said after a short pause.


	6. Tension

**Chapter 6 – Tension **

_Autobot Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

"Don't leave," Ratchet whined, his pale face filled with sorrow as it so often was these days.  
"I have to Ratch, I'm going with Prowl to help out with the new defence mechanism. Once the Decepticons catch wind of the project, they'll hit at it hard, and we need this to defend Iacon. You know that," Ironhide replied, placing his sturdy hands on Ratchet's shoulders.  
"But I don't want you go," Ratchet replied, letting Ironhide wrap his arms around the medic.  
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. It's not like I'm heading out to a battlefield. Why are you so worried about this?" Ironhide asked.  
"I have a bad feeling about today. And besides, this defence mechanism... it's so important, the battle for defending it would be fierce, I don't want to lose you," Ratchet stepped back to look up at his friend.  
"Come on Ratch, you know how tough I am. I'll come back in one piece, I promise," Ironhide grinned.

Over the past million years the Autobots had lost many comrades, and it had taken its toll on everyone. Their forces had been thinned out, and only the strongest could survive. It was Ironhide's strength and Ratchet's medical abilities that got them through the long, hard war, and Ironhide's wisdom and experience and Ratchet's agility and resilience that got them through the short, fierce battles that erupted so frequently. They had become very close out of necessity if nothing else. Feeling the pain first and strongest when each Autobot died on the med bay table, Ratchet needed someone to be there for him, someone strong, loyal and comforting. And Ironhide, he needed to be needed, for someone to wait for his return, someone to keep fighting for, keep living for. While the Decepticons tore at the Autobot forces, this brought the Autobots closer together rather than further apart. It was devastating when a close comrade died, but without the companionship to keep them going, that death would only have come swifter. Many felt that it was better to love and lose than to not have loved at all. It was just so hard when that losing happened.

Ironhide left the med bay with a worried expression on his face. Ratchet had seemed so upset, and Ratchet was rarely upset unnecessarily. The medic was right; if the battle over the new defence system came into actuality then it would be one of the fiercest battles in a long time. Ironhide was determined to defend it, but was not willing to risk his own life. He was a commander and the Autobots had made him realise that his life was very valuable. He was a valuable asset on the field, and his friends needed him to come home alive. He couldn't let down Ratchet; he had to come back alive.

While Starscream was an awesome sight to behold when descending into a battleground and many an optic would glance his way at his arrival, the seeker was not averse to making a silent entry. In fact, he had acquired a useful roguish skill that allowed him to sneak around undetected, unseen. While useless in the battlefield as it slowed him considerably, kept him ground bound and he was easily seen at close range, on an espionage mission he was as good as invisible. Creeping around the side of the wall of Iacon, he found carefully picked his way over bits of rubble and over the wall, silently thanking whichever Decepticon bombers had landed their missiles on this part of the wall. While the Autobots had built it up a bit, they hadn't had the time to totally secure it, and that made it rather easy for Starscream and Slight to stealthily sneak into Iacon.

Much smaller and less fortified than the Decepticon headquarters, Iacon was a shadow of its past self. Starscream located some rubble behind an old storage bunker and used it as cover. He started to write his report on the spot, scribbling down notes and diagrams. After observing the guard patterns for quite a while, Starscream drew some more cleaner, detailed plans of the outside of Iacon, from what he could see, and a copy of the guard patterns. Meanwhile Slight had crept around the other side of the base, and managed to return without arousing suspicion. He then helped Starscream update the diagrams and notes. Although it was dangerous to send messages from inside Iacon, as they could be tracked, if anything happened to Starscream he would be unable to communicate with the Decepticons so he took the risk and sent the heavily encrypted data straight over the secure network to Soundwave.

Soundwave replied with an ok, indicating that he had not detected interception. Perfect. Slight's trip around the other side of the base had also provided Starscream with the indication of which guards were most and least suspicious. Two had almost seen him, three had looked around cautiously and another three had not even noticed. Fortunately for the Decepticons, the two that were least suspicious were nearest to what Starscream decided was the best point of entry, a side door to a bunker attached to the main building. Starscream slowly crept towards it, using his stealth abilities to slowly make his way to the entrance. Slight took a more roundabout route, but managed to get fairly close the bunker. Unfortunately he did not have Starscream's stealthing abilities, and was unable to progress further. Starscream looked back and nodded at him, indicating he understood the situation, before remembering that Slight would probably be unable to see him. Feeling slightly stupid, Starscream sent a quiet message to Slight instructing him to wait for his command. If Starscream got into trouble, Slight could attempt to surprise the guards and run into the base, effectively buying Starscream time.

Starscream noted the locations of security cameras as he went through, and started making a mental map of the place. He poked into storage rooms, located a conference room, and then stumbled upon the med bay. He recognised the white medic curled up on a berth as Ratchet, the Autobot's Chief Medical Officer. Starscream warily moved away even though the medic appeared to be recharging; Ratchet could be a vicious, agile opponent when he wanted to be. He was also frequently with the red warrior Ironhide, and Ironhide was not someone you wanted to let anywhere near you if you were a Decepticon. Keeping an optic out for the red Autobot, Starscream decided he must be in the main building or out working on that project or possibly at... wait. Starscream turned around and headed back to the medical bay. Peeking in, he confirmed that Ratchet was indeed still there.

If the Autobots were out defending their nearby comrades, why was the CMO not in the battle? Ratchet was usually near the front lines, battling or tending to the wounded. Perhaps the medic was sick or injured? If he was, Starscream could get rid of him easily. Ratchet saved many an Autobot that the Decepticons shot down, without the medic the Autobot survival rate could decrease substantially. Sneaking in, Starscream halted as the white medic stirred and rolled over; turning to look around as though he knew someone was there. Ratchet did not appear to have any physical wounds, and this was confirmed when the medic stood up and looked around warily. Starscream remained motionless and hoped that the medic did not leave the med bay because that would bring him close enough to see Starscream. Ratchet shook his head and turned to the far door though, which led into a white tiled room.

Afraid the Autobot would return quickly, Starscream crept back out. There were no patients in the med bay from what Starscream had seen, and the medic looked tired by otherwise alright. Perhaps he was just left to hold down the fort, what with Prowl taking a quarter of the Autobots to the project and Optimus Prime presumably taking about half of the Autobots to battle Megatron. Annoyed that he had wasted time, Starscream continued into the main building. The first floor was heavily guarded and Starscream paused to take notes. Ducking back through the door, he dared to transmit the information he had gathered about the side bunker to Soundwave. After receiving another ok, he attempted to creep through the room unnoticed. He was halfway across, hiding in the shadows when he realised that there was no way he could get past into the corridor. He would have to call in Slight, and he was hoping to not have to do that so early in the mission. Hiding in a corner, Starscream transmitted his command to Slight with an almost apologetic tone.


	7. Invasion

**Chapter 7 – Invasion **

_Autobot Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

The ruckus that Slight was causing ensured Starscream's entry into the corridor, and he was able to quickly glance into three rooms and add them to his map before he located the security centre. And that was when his luck ran out. Red Alert bowled him over on the way out, he had delayed running to see what the situation with Slight was all about for some reason, and was now face to face with Starscream. In an attempt to contain the issue, Starscream grabbed the Autobot and shoved him back into the room, unsure if there were Autobots further down the corridor, and instantly transmitted the data he had to Soundwave, its incompleteness indicating that he was in trouble. Back at the Decepticon base, Megatron scowled as the communications specialist informed him of this.

Red Alert gasped as the seeker bore down on him, Starscream's hand weapons activating to reveal daggers. Red Alert raised his arm to fire at Starscream's face, but the jet activated his defences too quickly and the solid silver visor slid down from his helm and over his eyes. Starscream did not need his optics to see, and quickly sliced into the Autobot with his hand weapons, refraining from firing his null rays as the sound would draw more attention. Letting his visor retract, Starscream stabbed the Autobot in the spark to finish him off, before moving quickly to the console and transmitted all the information that he could directly to Soundwave. While waiting, Starscream crept to the side of the room in the hopes of catching Autobots by surprise if any chose to enter before he was finished.

"Good work, Starscream," Megatron mumbled as he watched the flow of data flooding the console before Soundwave. He had been afraid the mission was blown, and Starscream had not provided nearly enough information, but now he was doing one step better. Building layouts, security and defence systems data, vital missions, project details... a defence mechanism for Iacon? This would have to be sorted out. Megatron glanced at the other screen, where Raptor was leading two wings of seekers in a bombing run behind the enemy lines, distracting the ground bound warriors from the main Decepticon force. Megatron was disappointed that he could not participate in the battle, especially as Optimus Prime was there, but Starscream's mission took priority, and he was glad that he had stayed because this piece of information was so significant that it warranted a change of plans. Megatron would have called an immediate retreat, regroup and change of target, but doing so would put Starscream in more danger. After the vital data was transmitted, minor data started coming through, and Megatron commanded Soundwave to instruct Starscream to retreat as soon as possible. Then the data flow ceased abruptly.

In a blind rage at the sight of his fallen comrade, Inferno had shot the security console to prevent further transmitting, but it was too late, the important information was already in the hands of the Decepticons. While wrestling with the Autobot, Starscream heard the other Autobots rushing towards Inferno's cries, so the Decepticon shot him in the head swiftly before racing out. He needed to evacuate, now. Unfortunately there were Autobots in both ends of the corridors. Glancing the way he had come and seeing it as a better bet, Starscream fired a few shots that way before swinging around and firing missiles down the long end of the corridor. The explosion bought him enough time to escape into the main floor, where he fired upon anything and everything, as just about everything fired back at him. Bursting through the front door, the seeker took off into the air and towards the battleground at full speed. He would be unable to make it back to base if he was tailed, so the battleground would be safest. Informing Soundwave and Raptor of his plan, he briefly flicked his sensors behind him and appended that he was being chased by Aerialbots.

Starscream's next transmission was to Slight, and although he had been caught, Starscream's ruckus had in turn saved the spy, and Slight had managed to escape the building and was heading out the way he had come. He would have to make his own way back to the Decepticon base from there though, which would not be the easiest, but at least he didn't have five trigger happy jets tailing him. Suddenly the sky was filled with jets of all colours, and Starscream banked, falling into formation behind Raptor. The other jets seamlessly rearranged themselves to accommodate an additional comrade, just as they did when they lost one. That was one thing that Starscream was proud of teaching his wings, the ability to rearrange themselves immediately and smoothly should a jet need to break or join a formation.

Megatron ordered a retreat, and Starscream was glad to return to base. Nursing a number of injuries from his scuffle with Inferno then being shot at various ranges, he headed straight for the Decepticon's medical bay to get himself patched up. Megatron was extremely pleased; he had not expected such a successful mission. The Autobots had nowhere to run, and he knew all of their secrets. It was finally time to wipe the Autobots off the planet completely.


	8. Relocation

**Chapter 8 – Relocation **

_Autobot Headquarters, Planet Cybertron _

Ironhide was greeted with gentle white arms. The red warrior rested his head on Ratchet's as he looked over the medic's shoulder at the prone forms on the med bay tables. More than half of them were not functioning, and were not going to function. Ratchet pulled himself away from his friend and turned back to the patient he had been working on. There was no time for talking, no time for crying, no time for anything but repairing. The other two medics that the Autobots had left were also working hard on the injured. The battle had been brutal, and not at the locations the Autobots had expected. The final pockets of living Autobots were now in Iacon, the last Autobot stronghold, the only place not controlled by the Decepticons, and up until that day, the only place the Decepticons did not know intimately. The security console's data had been backed up to Teletraan-18, and the transmitted data would have brought Optimus to his knees had he not been sitting.

Optimus Prime began planning immediately. There was no time to waste moping about. He sent Prowl to the medical bay to find out how soon the patients could be transported. They needed to move. They needed to evacuate. They needed to leave Cybertron. It was Ironhide's gently grey hands that pulled Ratchet away and left his patient to the other medics.  
"We have to evacuate Cybertron. I need to know how long before we can move the patients, we have to load them onto Omega Supreme as soon as possible," Prowl said slowly, holding the medic's hands in his own in a rare gesture of sympathy. The news he was bringing was going to hit all of the remaining Autobots hard.  
"Why?" Ratchet squeaked.  
"Because the Decepticons stole all of our security information. They know everything, Ratchet. We have lost this war, and have to leave if we want our lives," Prowl explained. Ratchet nodded, then turned back to look at the patients.  
"I can't tell you yet. Give me... just give me a bit of time. Once the critical wounds are sealed I can know how long they will take to stabilise, if they are going to..." Ratchet looked back at Prowl.

"Alright, you keep working, and when you are done I want you to gather up everything and anything you can, ok?" Prowl said.  
"Everything that's not bolted down," Ironhide joked in an attempt to lighten the mood a tad.  
"I have screwdrivers, I can unbolt things," Ratchet replied softly before turning back to his patient, and Ironhide was not sure if that was meant to be a joke or not. Elsewhere in the base, everyone was packing things into Omega Supreme, who was discreetly hidden in a bunker that Slight, and hence Starscream, had fortunately missed. Wheeljack was disconnecting computer terminals while Skyfire loaded the heavy objects into Omega. Prowl left the med bay to calculate how much room Omega Supreme had and how much the Autobots would need. He worked out that if Skyfire carried equipment and a small group of Autobots, and everyone else was in Omega then everything would fit.

It turned out that Ratchet had not been joking, because he did unbolt things. After packing all of the med bay tools neatly so that they fit well, and moving the light med bay tables, he proceeded to unbolt the heavier ones in case they would fit. He ducked out of the med bay to pack his own personal belongings, which Ironhide helped him with as they shared their quarters as did many of the Autobots, then helped load the living patients into Omega Supreme. After the important things and light things were packed, heavier objects were included as well. Even though this would mean more fuel consumption, they would need the materials. Two hardy soldiers volunteered to deal with the deceased, stating that there was no time for everyone to pay their respects but that they would be laid to rest in a dignified and befitting manner. Optimus Prime nodded to them after close friends said their goodbyes, and turned to Jazz with hopeful optics. His spark filled with relief when Jazz smiled at him.

"I've plotted a course to a nearby moon where we can land, unpack, rearrange stuff, work out what we do and don't have, then we will head to here," the black and white Autobot pointed to the screen of the last terminal to be unplugged and loaded into Omega Supreme, "where we will settle down for a new life."  
"Excellent work Jazz. Now let's get this terminal loaded and get ready, the Decepticons could be here any moment," Optimus declared. The Autobots felt panicky but kept their cool. They managed to get everything packed, even raw materials for building, and there was not a Decepticon in sight when Omega Supreme and Skyfire launched. Wheeljack had come up with a clever idea that masked the shuttles, preventing the Decepticons from detecting them unless they were within optic range, which none thankfully were. With Vector Sigma in his hands, Optimus Prime felt like he was holding a shining future.

The stopover on the moon was appreciated, as it gave the Autobots time to pack everything more neatly, giving them much more leg room. The injured Autobots had all recovered by then as well, giving the three medics time to relax. Curled up with his head on Ironhide's lap and his feet on Jazz's, Ratchet felt that for the first time in many, many years, that everything was going to be alright.


	9. Revelation

**Chapter 9 – Revelation **

_Cybertron City, Planet Primus _

Primus was a partially organic, partially metallic planet that the Autobots had discovered shortly after the war started, which was how the Decepticons never learnt of its existence. Named after their Cybertronian God, the Autobots set about constructing Cybertron City and the start of their new lives. Finally, for the first time in many millions of years, there was peace, and the Autobots wouldn't trade it for the world. The located sustainable resources and worked out systems that allowed for all waste products produced to be fully recyclable, ensuring that energy crises would never occur. With Vector Sigma, new life was created, and the Autobots grew and prospered.

In the end the Autobots and Decepticons were too different, and unable to live together so they were separate, with their own separate planets, and although it was always in the back of the processors of those that lived through the war, the opposite faction became nothing more than history. The Decepticons rebuilt their planet, as the Autobots built theirs. The Decepticons plundered nearby planets for resources, but only two, before working out how to recycle waste in order to create completely sustainable sources of energy. Cybertron's Silver Age eventually became the second Golden Age under the command of the Decepticons. And Primus? It was forever a Golden Age.

_Decepticon Headquarters, Planet Cybertron, before Autobot Evacuation _

A glow of pink light engulfed the two seekers, Reflector and the cassettes, taking them back through time to the past, to what they considered the present.  
"Hands up, Decepticons!" Jazz demanded. The five Decepticons looked at each other, before obeying. The Decepticons of the future may be stronger, but in the present, the Autobots gave them a real run for their Energon, and it appeared that the Autobots had captured the time machine.  
"I hope for your sakes that you didn't mess up the future!" Ironhide growled.  
"Relax, we didn't touch anything! Why would we want to destroy such a beautiful future?" Frenzy grinned up at the Autobots.

While the past may be set in stone, and its events altered in the fashion the Aerialbots managed, the future was like a wave at the end of a line, something that could be manipulated, something that could branch off, and which path time chose to take, nobody could know. Maybe that was the future the Transformers would enter, but maybe it was not. Only time would tell.

Fin.


End file.
